For Kakashi to try to copy Natsuhiko's movements at this stage was truly wishful thinking.
And Natsuhiko's judgment had been spot on—Kakashi's adaptation to the Sharingan was still far from ideal.
Even if he could see Natsuhiko's movements, his body simply couldn't keep up.
Natsuhiko gripped his kunai in his right hand and slashed forward fiercely, his speed like a bolt of lightning. Kakashi failed to match that speed.
Unable to block in time, Kakashi's combat experience came into play.
Using the Sharingan's insight, he judged the angle of the kunai's attack and slightly twisted his body, narrowly evading it.
But Kakashi was still Kakashi. Even while dodging, he attempted a counterattack.
Passively taking hits would only lead to defeat. Only by counterattacking and regaining the initiative could he find a way to win.
The moment he dodged, Kakashi lowered his body slightly. While staying alert for further attacks, he suddenly lashed out with a kick aimed directly at Natsuhiko's groin.
"This guy…"
Natsuhiko's expression darkened slightly. If that kick landed solidly, he'd probably be headed straight to the medical department.
Still, he didn't think Kakashi was wrong to do so. Ninja combat was never clean. Even in sparring, as long as it wasn't lethal, such tactics were acceptable.
Natsuhiko swiftly lifted his leg. His reaction speed and bodily coordination allowed him to make the optimal decision even in extreme situations.
Thump!
His leg blocked Kakashi's kick perfectly. Then he pressed downward, planting his foot firmly on the ground.
Using that leg as a pivot, Natsuhiko swung his other leg in a fierce sweeping kick toward Kakashi.
Kakashi immediately flipped backward to evade the sweep, using the motion to widen the distance between them. While retreating, he quickly hurled his kunai at Natsuhiko.
Unfortunately, that tactic was useless against him. Natsuhiko simply tilted his body slightly and avoided the kunai with ease.
In truth, Kakashi hadn't expected that throw to do much.
After gaining enough distance, he immediately formed hand seals.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Spears!"
As his hands moved, chakra surged into the ground. In the next instant, dozens of sharp earthen spikes burst upward beneath Natsuhiko's feet.
The thick spikes were extremely sharp. Natsuhiko had no doubt that being impaled by them would end badly.
He lightly leapt into the air to avoid the spikes.
Seizing the moment when Natsuhiko was airborne, Kakashi charged forward.
"Was that intentional?"
Natsuhiko wondered.
Just as Kakashi was about to strike him, Natsuhiko—suspended midair—suddenly vanished.
In the next second, Kakashi felt the sharp edge of a kunai thrust toward his side.
What a fast Body Flicker!
Natsuhiko's movement left no trace. Especially since he had been suspended in midair.
But Kakashi didn't dwell on it. Having seen Natsuhiko fight at full power before, he was shocked by the speed—but he didn't lose his composure.
At the critical moment, he formed a one-handed seal.
Natsuhiko's kunai stabbed into his body without resistance—
Yet, accompanied by a puff of smoke and the unmistakably different sensation of striking wood instead of flesh, a log appeared before Natsuhiko's eyes.
Substitution Technique.
Natsuhiko wasn't surprised.
His sensory perception had already picked up Kakashi's movement.
In fact—
He had already located Kakashi's position.
Landing lightly on the ground, Natsuhiko suddenly turned to the side.
Kakashi had already charged out—he had no intention of hiding himself.
Because he knew very well that no matter how he concealed himself, he wouldn't be able to escape Natsuhiko's sensory perception.
During their previous mission, Kakashi had already witnessed Natsuhiko's sensing abilities. He held no illusions about getting lucky.
"So you want to engage in taijutsu and take advantage of the Sharingan? Fine—let's do it!"
Facing Kakashi's assault, Natsuhiko showed no fear.
The Sharingan was formidable—but it depended on who was using it.
In an instant, the two were locked in close combat. The sharp clang of metal striking metal rang out endlessly.
Natsuhiko's speed was like lightning. Every movement was concise and direct—perhaps not elegant, but possessing a unique charm of its own.
Kakashi, though somewhat pressured, relied on his solid fundamentals and the speed boost granted by Lightning Release to barely keep up with Natsuhiko, preventing himself from falling into complete disarray.
Moreover, amid such an intense exchange, Kakashi felt that his Sharingan was seeing more and more clearly. His judgment of Natsuhiko's attack trajectories was becoming increasingly precise.
"It's just that the chakra consumption… is also increasing."
Kakashi thought silently.
Meanwhile, their taijutsu clash grew more and more heated.
They were moving so fast that to the naked eye there were only two blurs constantly crossing paths, sparks flashing every time they collided.
Their speed was already far greater than at the beginning of the match.
Uchiha Sora, standing at the side, could no longer see what was happening at all.
Just then, Natsuhiko suddenly leapt backward and hurled the kunai in his hand toward Kakashi, while rapidly forming hand seals.
"Earth Release: Earth and Stone Dragon!"
As his seals completed, earth and stone surged together, forming a massive dragon with overwhelming presence, which then lunged fiercely toward Kakashi.
"Earth Release?"
Kakashi was momentarily stunned.
He hadn't expected Natsuhiko—who excelled in Water Release—to also use Earth Release.
But he didn't hesitate.
His hands flew through seals at astonishing speed, completing his technique almost instantly.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall."
Kakashi's hand-seal speed was absurdly fast. In terms of forming seals, only a handful of people could surpass him.
The massive stone dragon did not slow down for even a moment. It crashed violently into the earthen wall.
A thunderous roar echoed across the training ground as thick clouds of dust billowed upward.
Several ninja training nearby in the early morning turned to look.
Even though they hadn't seen the earlier exchange, the sheer intensity of that chakra collision alone surpassed their level.
"Are jōnin sparring?"
"Jōnin are incredible… Even a spar can create this much power?"
The onlookers whispered among themselves.
Meanwhile, Kakashi remained highly alert, scanning his surroundings.
When the earthen wall collapsed with a crash, he suddenly realized he had lost sight of Natsuhiko.
How could he not be cautious in such a situation?
"He's hiding… or…"
Kakashi's Sharingan swept the area vigilantly.
"Underground?"
Very quickly, he had his answer.
His Sharingan clearly detected chakra fluctuations coming from beneath the ground.
The surge of chakra was extremely fast—and Kakashi's reaction was just as quick.
Gripping his kunai tightly, he stabbed fiercely toward the source of the chakra eruption.
But as his blade pierced the ground, his heart skipped a beat.
He realized the chakra he had targeted was a decoy. A second, much larger surge of chakra was erupting from his blind spot...